


The Pact

by Chica56



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types
Genre: Backstory, How Aoi met Athothlo, I was so excited to post this shdbnfhjnsdf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:07:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26539312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chica56/pseuds/Chica56
Summary: Aoi’s life takes a massive turn following a near-death experience.
Kudos: 2





	The Pact

Too loud.

Too hostile.

Too much.

Aoi shook her head, trying to push the thought of her parents arguing yet again out of her mind. It was the same thing as usual— the town was getting worse, with thieves and rogues running amok, and they couldn’t agree on what to do. Their shouting was too much to handle. It used to break Aoi’s heart, making her wish that her parents would get along again, but at this point she just wanted them to come to some sort of agreement already. Until then, she’d avoid the noise by swimming in the small, hidden beach behind their home.

As she stepped over rocks and fallen branches, she let her mind wander towards the rumors she’d heard. There had been talk about a mysterious artifact hidden somewhere in the waters surrounding the town. Some claimed it would let you breathe underwater, others believed a wish-granting djinni was trapped inside, and a few believed it would let you speak directly with the gods. People would jump into their boats and search for it for hours or days on end, only to come back dejected and empty-handed. Oh well, it was all rumors and legends anyway. For all they knew it was just some oddly shiny seashell.

Once Aoi reached the small beach, she quickly took off her shoes and climbed up one of the boulders, taking a deep breath and diving in. The cool water hit her tan skin and soaked her clothes, but it felt nice. As she opened her eyes, she could see crabs skittering along the sand and small fish darting around. Large oysters dotted the submerged rocks, making Aoi wish she’d brought a knife. Pushing that thought aside, she continued to swim.

The ocean had always been calming to her. The gentle waves, the creatures, the salty smell, the soft breeze...it felt welcoming. She’d often go out to the sea with her parents to fish or collect oysters, and even then she felt right at home. People sometimes joked about her being a water genasi in a human’s body. Hell, it made sense— she’d always been drawn to the ocean, even as a small child. Swimming in it was soothing to her.

However, her peaceful swim was interrupted by a loud boom of thunder.

Looking up towards the surface, she could see the water ripple as rain droplets fell into it and the waves began kicking up. Dammit, she should’ve checked the sky beforehand...oh well, time to return home. Making her way towards the top, she nearly broke the surface before something forced her back down. Trying again, the same force shoved her down once more.

Oh no.

No, no no no.

Aoi tried desperately to get above the water, but the waves and current were too strong, forcing her further and further beneath the surface. Her heart raced and her eyes were wide as she struggled to get back up. This couldn’t be happening, she couldn’t drown! Not like this! Her lungs burned as they were slowly being deprived of oxygen, and her heart began to race even more. Was this the end? Was this how she died, forced beneath the waves by a storm at 15 years old? Looking around frantically, something beneath her caught her eye.

Something...glowing.

Her mind returned to the stories of the artifact. Was that it? Could it save her? As she sank closer to it, its shape became more clear— it wasn’t an artifact at all. It was a portal, surrounded by broken pillars and carved stone, with a long tendril slowly snaking out of it.

The tendril wrapped around Aoi’s leg, making her panic and open her mouth, letting salty water rush in. She kicked and smacked the tendril as hard as she could, fearing what it was attached to. Forget drowning, was she about to be eaten by a sea monster? She could imagine the horrified faces of the villagers as her bones washed ashore, picked clean of any flesh.

As she was dragged into the portal, she coughed up the water she had inhaled. Her lungs and throat burned, but she was alive! Or...was she? Where was she, anyway? It felt like she was in the water, but she could breathe just fine. Looking down at herself, she found an unusual glowing circle surrounding her neck. Was she under some kind of spell?

**_“HELLO THERE, CHILD.”_ **

Aoi’s train of thought was broken by a deep, rumbling voice that sent chills through her body. Glancing around, she could feel her stomach drop as she was met with six glowing eyes. Her limbs froze and her breathing quickened upon realizing what— or rather, _who_ was speaking. Whatever they were, they were massive.

**_”THERE IS NO NEED TO BE AFRAID, LITTLE ONE. I WILL NOT HARM YOU.”_ **

Part of her didn’t want to trust him, but another could sense his honesty. Aoi tried to make out exactly what she was looking at, but the darkness made it hard to see him. Slowly, his form became clearer and clearer, making Aoi’s eyes widen. He was _massive_ , and covered in dark blue scales. His head was decorated with large fins and horns, and his body and arms sported more fins and spikes. His hands were equipped with sharp claws and webbing, more than capable of tearing any monster apart. Instead of a normal tail, he had many tentacles, which swayed and propelled himself through the water. Aoi couldn’t tell if she was in awe of him or terrified. Perhaps a bit of both.

“W-Where...where am I? Who are you?” Aoi asked cautiously.

**_“I AM ATHOTHLO, THE PRIMORDIAL BEAST OF THE DEEP. YOU ARE IN THE ELEMENTAL PLANE OF WATER— YOU ARE SAFE HERE. YOU WILL NOT DROWN.”_ **

Elemental plane of water? She vaguely remembered hearing that somewhere. But...why would he save her? How did he open a portal to another plane? How on earth was she alive?

**_"IT HAS BEEN A VERY LONG TIME SINCE I HAVE SEEN ANOTHER CREATURE. 9,000 YEARS….FAR TOO LONG."_ ** Athothlo spoke, slowly swimming around her. **_“IT’S NICE TO FINALLY SEE ANOTHER LIVING BEING, THOUGH.”_ **

“You…you’ve really been alone for that long?” How on earth could anyone be alone for thousands of years? Surely someone would have tried to contact him somehow, right?

**_“YES. NO ONE VENTURES THIS DEEP, AND I CANNOT SEE INTO THE MATERIAL PLANE. I HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO SINCE…”_ ** Athothlo paused. **_“...SINCE...THE COLLAPSE.”_ **

Aoi tilted her head to the side. What collapse? The structure the portal was in? Or something else? Sensing her confusion, Athothlo sighed and continued.

**_"I WAS ONCE WORSHIPPED BY MANY."_ ** He said solemnly. **_"THERE WAS A CIVILIZATION MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, RIGHT WHERE YOUR HOME LIKELY NOW STANDS. THE PORTAL YOU WERE PULLED THROUGH WAS INSIDE OF MY TEMPLE….OR RATHER, WHAT REMAINS OF IT."_ **

“What happened? I-If you don’t mind me asking, of course, I-I don’t want you to—”

**_“IT’S QUITE ALRIGHT. THOSE PEOPLE...THEY WORSHIPPED ME AS A GOD. THEY LEFT ME OFFERINGS, PRAYED TO ME, ASKED ME FOR GUIDANCE AND PROTECTION. HOWEVER, EVEN I COULDN’T PROTECT THEM FROM EVERYTHING. ESPECIALLY NOT A PLAGUE.”_ **

“Wait, I heard about that! They couldn’t find a cure for it, right?”

**_“AH, SO YOU DO KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT THEM. YOU ARE RIGHT, THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A CURE, DESPITE THE WORK OF THEIR BEST HEALERS. THEY PRAYED TO ME FOR ANSWERS, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO. MY INFLUENCE COULD ONLY EXTEND SO FAR. OVER TIME, MORE AND MORE OF THEM PERISHED, UNTIL…”_ **Athtothlo paused. There was pain and regret in his voice. Aoi could tell that he felt guilty for not being able to do more.

**_“...MY LAST WARLOCK PERISHED. I LOST MY CONNECTION TO THE MATERIAL PLANE AFTER THAT. I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM. I HAVE A WEAK LINK TO THE TEMPLE, BUT EVEN THEN I CAN’T SEE FAR. BUT I WAS ABLE TO SEE YOU.”_ **

Aoi’s heart sank as the words left him. He had to watch them die, unable to do anything about it, and was left alone for thousands of years. She knew what that was like. Feeling weak, unable to help those you care about, being isolated from everyone. It hurts. But she shared his pain.

“I’m so sorry, Athothlo. I…” Aoi sighed. “I know what that’s like. There’s been thieves stealing from everyone in the village. They’re too strong to stop, and I can’t go out there anymore without risking getting attacked. I haven’t been able to see anyone in...well, I’ve kinda forgotten how long it’s been. But it hurts. Doesn’t help that my parents fight a lot.”

Now it was Athothlo’s turn to be surprised. He never expected someone to know how he felt, especially not a human. Swimming closer to her, his expression softened, showing he wasn’t a threat. Aoi swam up to him and gently pressed his forehead against him, earning a low rumble in response.

“I WOULD LIKE TO HELP YOU, YOUNG ONE.”

Aoi’s eyes snapped open. Help? How? She couldn’t think of a way he’d fix the mess that was her village, but at the same time she was curious.

**_“I CAN GUIDE YOU AND LEND YOU MY STRENGTH. YOU WILL HAVE THE POWER TO KEEP YOURSELF AND THOSE YOU CARE FOR SAFE. I ONLY ASK FOR ONE THING IN RETURN.”_ **

She gulped. There was always a price with these sorts of things. Becoming wary, she prepared herself to examine his next words carefully.

“A-And what would that be?”

**_“YOU WILL BE MY EYES. YOU WILL REPORT TO ME EVERYTHING YOU SEE IN THE MATERIAL PLANE, EVERYTHING YOU EXPERIENCE AND DISCOVER. IF I REQUEST SOMETHING ELSE OF YOU, I WILL DO MY BEST TO ASSIST YOU. DO WE HAVE A DEAL?”_ **

Aoi listened carefully for any sign of a loophole he’d exploit or some other catch, but she was met with genuine honesty. It surprised her. He just wanted to see what was happening, and probably to catch up on everything he’d missed in the past 9,000 years. There would be a lot for him to see. Taking a deep breath, she swam back to look him in the eyes.

“I accept your deal.” She said confidently.

**_“VERY WELL, THEN. THE PACT HAS BEEN SEALED. I WILL BE YOUR PROTECTOR, AND YOU WILL BE MY EYES, MY PRIESTESS….MY WARLOCK”._ **

The next thing Aoi knew, she was being rapidly propelled out of a portal and above the water, safely landing on the beach. When she looked behind her, a long tendril quickly retreated back into the stormy sea.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok ngl this was a lot of fun to write usidfjmsdf
> 
> But yeah, that's the story of how my warlock met her patron! If you wanna see more about them, you can follow the tumblr blog for em, it's @lurker-in-the-deep. I'll be posting some stuff about them there sometimes.


End file.
